Electric cell connecting apparatus for hybrid electric vehicle

ABSTRACT

An electric cell connecting apparatus is provided which comprises a housing, a female connecting plate, a male connecting plate, and a terminal member. The housing is configured to receive a plurality of electric cells. The female connecting plate is provided with a plurality of holes that are formed to receive tabs of the electric cells according to a desired connection configuration of the electric cells. The male connecting plate is provided with a plurality of projections configured to be inserted into the holes of the female connecting plate, and the projections electrically connect the plurality of electric cells in a specific connection configuration. The terminal member is inserted into coupling holes that are formed in the male connecting plate, and it thereby contacts an anode and a cathode of the electric cells to output an electric voltage of the electric cells.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an electric cell for a hybrid electricvehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus for connecting electriccells of a hybrid electric vehicle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, a hybrid electric vehicle employs a nickel metal hydride(Ni—MH) electric cell as an auxiliary power source. However, a lithiumelectric cell, which can be a high performance auxiliary power source,has been widely developed.

An electric cell module can be manufactured by connecting a plurality ofunit electric cells (1.2V) in parallel or in series. Conventionally,electric cells are generally connected together by a cell connector, andthey are coupled through bolting or welding at terminals thereof.

A terminal of a lithium electric cell of a hybrid electric vehicle is ashallow plate that is made of copper and aluminum. The terminal is bentfor a connection with a coupling panel. However, the terminal can bedamaged and contacting resistance between the cells may increase.Furthermore, there is a drawback that the connected portion is easilydamaged so that electrolyte inside the electric cell may escape.

The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section isonly for enhancement of understanding of the background of the inventionand should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestionthat this information forms the prior art that is already known to aperson skilled in the art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide an electric cell connectingapparatus that can prevent leakage of electrolyte of the electric cell,and that can increase charging convenience of the electric cell moduleby easily connecting the electric cells.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, an electric cellconnecting apparatus comprises a housing, a female connecting plate, amale connecting plate, and a terminal member. The housing is configuredto receive a plurality of electric cells. The female connecting plate isprovided with a plurality of holes that are formed to receive tabs ofthe electric cells according to a desired connection configuration ofthe electric cells. The male connecting plate is provided with aplurality of projections configured to be inserted into the holes of thefemale connecting plate, and the projections electrically connect theplurality of electric cells in a specific connection configuration. Theterminal member is inserted into coupling holes that are formed in themale connecting plate, thereby contacting with an anode and a cathode ofthe electric cells to output an electric voltage of the cells.

Preferably, the female connecting plate is made of an insulatingmaterial, and it is preferable that the holes of the female connectingplate are formed with a predetermined inclination such that the tabs ofthe electric cells can be inserted into the holes without being bent. Itis also preferable that the holes of the female connecting plate have atrapezoidal shape.

Preferably, the projections of the male connecting plate are made of aconducting material, and it is preferable that a portion excepting theprojections of the female connecting plate is made of an insulatingmaterial. It is further preferable that a cooling hole is formed in themale connecting plate for cooling the electric cells.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of the specification, illustrate an embodiment of the invention,and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles ofthe invention, where:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an electric cell connecting apparatus forhybrid electric vehicles according to a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows a female connecting plate (FCP) of the electric cellconnecting apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a male connecting plate (MCP) of the electric cellconnecting apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a terminal member of the electric cellconnecting apparatus of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 shows a process of coupling the electric cells using the electriccell connecting apparatus according to the preferred embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will bedescribed in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, an electric cell connecting apparatus according to apreferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a housing 210, afemale connecting plate (FCP) 220, a male connecting plate (MCP) 230,and a pair of terminal members 240. The housing 210 preferably has a “”shape. A side plate 214 and a rear plate 216 are respectively coupled tothe housing 210. A plurality of electric cells 200 are mounted tosupporters 212 of the housing 210, and the side and rear plates 214 and216 play a role to protect the mounted electric cells.

A rear supporter 218 is mounted to the housing 210 inside the rear plate216. The supporters 212, are mounted on two facing inside surfaces (forexample, bottom and upper surfaces) of the housing 210, and electriccells 200 are inserted in grooves formed at constant intervals in thesupporters 212.

As an example, in this embodiment, five grooves are formed in thesupporter 212 of the housing 210, and two electric cells are insertedinto each groove. Therefore, ten electric cells 200 may be mounted inone electric cell module.

The female connecting plate 220 has a plurality of holes 222 atpositions corresponding to positions of tabs (aluminum and copper tabs)of the electric cells 200 according to a specific connectionconfiguration (series connection, parallel connection, orseries-parallel connection) of the electric cells 200.

The female connecting plate 220 is made of an insulating material (forexample, a plastic material). The holes 222 of the female connectingplate 220 are perforated with a specific inclination such that the tabof the electric cells 200 can be inserted thereto without being bent.

Furthermore, when projections 232 of the male connecting plate 230 areinserted into the holes 222 of the female connecting plate 220,frictional resistance is generated between the surfaces of the holes 222and projections 232 of the male connecting plate 230. In order todecrease such frictional resistance, the holes 222 are formed to have atrapezoidal shape, as shown in FIG. 2.

The male connecting plate 230 has projections 232 that are configured tobe inserted into the holes 222 of the female connecting plate 220. Whileinserted into the holes 222 of the female connection plate 220, theprojections 232 of the male connecting plate 230 contact the tab of theelectric cells 200 so that the electric cells 200 can be electricallyconnected in a desired connection configuration.

The projections 232 of the male connecting plate 230 are made of aconducting material (for example, tinned copper), and the projections232, as shown in FIG. 4, have a trapezoidal shape corresponding to theshape of the holes 222 of the female connecting plate 220.

A portion excepting the projections 232 of the male connecting plate 230is made of an insulating material (for example, a plastic material).

Cooling holes 234 are formed in the male connecting plate 230 atspecific positions thereof, so that airflow generated by a cooling fancan reach and cool the electric cell, thereby preventing a temperatureincrease in the electric cells during charging or discharging.

The terminal members 240 are inserted into coupling holes 236 formed inthe male connecting plate 230, thereby contacting with the tabs (anodeand cathode) of the electrical cells 200, so that the electric energy ofthe cell module can be output through the terminal members 240. Theterminal members 240 are made of a conducting material. Also, theterminal members 240 can be used to connect one electric cell module toanother.

The electric cell connecting apparatus according to the preferredembodiment of the present invention uses an arrangement of a maleconnector and a female connector, and therefore, it can connect theelectric cells in parallel or in series without a bolt connectionbetween the electric cells. For example, as shown in (1) of FIG. 5, theelectric cells 200 are mounted in the supporter 212 of the housing 210.As shown in (2) of FIG. 5, the female connecting plate 220 is coupled tothe housing 210, and the tabs of the electric cells 200 are insertedinto the holes 222 of the female connecting plate 220 according to adesired connection of the electric cells 200.

As shown in (3) and (4) of FIG. 5, the male connecting plate 230 and theterminal member 240 are then mounted, so that the electric cells 200 areconnected with a desired connection. The male connecting plate 230 isformed such that a circuit board is mounted thereon to measure voltage.

In the electric cell connecting apparatus according to the preferredembodiment of the present invention, the aluminum tab and the copper tabneed not be bent in order to connect them, so that leakage ofelectrolyte caused by damage to the tabs of the electric cell can beprevented. Furthermore, the electric cell module can easily be assembledor disassembled without bolting or unbolting the electric cells.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed in detail hereinabove, it should be clearly understood thatmany variations and/or modifications of the basic inventive conceptsherein taught which may appear to those skilled in the present art willstill fall within the sprit and scope of the present invention, asdefined in the appended claims.

Throughout this specification and the claims which follow, unlessexplicitly described to the contrary, the word “comprise” or variationssuch as “comprises” or “comprising” will be understood to imply theinclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any otherelements.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electric cell connecting apparatus comprising:a housing configured to receive a plurality of electric cells; a femaleconnecting plate provided with a plurality of holes that are formed toreceive tabs of the electric cells according to a desired connectionconfiguration of the electric cells; a male connecting plate providedwith a plurality of projections configured to be inserted into the holesof the female connecting plate, the projections electrically connectingthe plurality of electric cells in a specific connection configuration;and a terminal member inserted into coupling holes that are formed inthe male connecting plate, thereby contacting an anode and a cathode ofthe electric cells to output an electric voltage of the electric cells.2. The electric cell connecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the femaleconnecting plate is made of an insulating material.
 3. The electric cellconnecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the holes of the femaleconnecting plate are formed with a predetermined inclination such thatthe tabs of the electric cells can be inserted into the holes withoutbeing bent.
 4. The electric cell connecting apparatus of claim 3,wherein the holes of the female connecting plate have a trapezoidalshape.
 5. The electric cell connecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein theprojections of the male connecting plate are made of a conductingmaterial.
 6. The electric cell connecting apparatus of claim 5, whereina portion excepting the projections of the female connecting plate ismade of an insulating material.
 7. The electric cell connectingapparatus of claim 1, wherein a cooling hole is formed in the maleconnecting plate for cooling the electric cells.